Monday, 25 November 2013

Back to ConfigMgr main menuThe release of ConfigMgr 2012 R2 caused some issues with Operating System Deployment when a PXE enabled Distribution Point was co-located with Site Servers.1. WDS crashing2. Very slow download speeds for OSD filesThe official descriptions are as follows:Issue 1After you enable the PXE Service Point role on an instance of a specific distribution point, or you select the Deploy this boot image from the PXE-enabled distribution point property of a boot image, the Windows Deployment Service (WDS) stops running.Note: This problem affects only distribution points that are installed on site servers.Issue 2When operating system image files are downloaded to Configuration Manager 2012 R2 clients, you may find that the download takes longer than it did in previous versions of Configuration Manager 2012 clients. You may see this behavior when the target client is running Windows PE or a full Windows operating system.These issues were resolved with Hotfix KB2905002. The Hotfix can be downloaded herehttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/2905002/en-us?sd=rss&spid=1060You can also find installation information on this page.Download and extract the Hotfix files.

Launch the executable.

See the "Welcome Screen". It gives information on how KB2905002 should be applied. Click Next.

Wednesday, 20 November 2013

There are two ways to connect to your Configuration Manager site via PowerShell.Method 1: Using the Configuration Manager console

See the blue tab in the top left corner of the console. Click on the down arrow to reveal the menu. Select "Connect via Windows PowerShell".

It takes a few moments but PowerShell loads. See your Site Code in the command prompt.

Type the cmdlet get-cmsite for information about your site.Method 2: Manually through PowerShell consoleAll Windows PowerShell cmdlets are coded and stored in a module. The modules for Windows are available by default in your Windows PowerShell window and you can add more modules. You add modules to your Windows PowerShell session by importing them using the Import-Module cmdlet.

This is the ConfigMgr module and can be found C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Configuration Manager\AdminConsole\bin

Open PowerShell as Administrator (Note that we need the x86 version - the ConfigMgr Admin Console is a 32-bit application) and navigate to that path.

Windows PowerShell is Microsoft's task automation and configuration management framework, consisting of a command line shell and associated scripting language built on .NET Framework. It is a valuable administration tool as it combines the speed of a command line with the flexibility of a scripting language.PowerShell commands are referred to as Cmdlets. All cmdlets are made up of two parts: a verb and a noun. They are separated by a hyphen ‘-‘ character.Some cmdlets are integrated with Windows, and others are installed with programs like ConfigMgr.Launch PowerShell by clicking on this icon on the taskbar. (Open PowerShell as Administrator by right clicking - you should do this as most of the cmdlets you will be using will require this)

You can also search by typing PowerShell.

(Note that we need the x86 version - the ConfigMgr Admin Console is a 32-bit application)Note the PS telling you that you are running PowerShell

Some useful commandsget-command gives you a list of all available PowerShell commands

See the verbs that can be used in cmdlets. Each verb can be used with in conjunction with various nouns to create powerful cmdletsAdd BlockClearCloseConnectCopyDisable DisconnectDismountEnableEndExportFormatGetGrantInitializeImportInstallInvokeJoinLimitMeasureMergeMountMoveNewOpenOptimizePublishRegisterRemoveRenameRepairResetResizeResolveRestoreRestartResumeRevokeSaveSelectSendSetShowStartStopSuspendSyncTestUnblockUndoUninstallUnregisterUpdateUseWaitWriteget-command -verb GetThis will list all the Get cmdlets

ExampleGet-service

Try this (use a service that you are allowed to stop - requires PowerShell to be run as administrator)Get-Service -name WsusServiceStop-Service -name WsusServiceGet-Service -name WsusService

Start the service again

Start-Service -name WsusServiceVerify that it is startedGet-Service -name WsusService

Windows PowerShell is a very powerful way to automate your administrative tasks and native support was introduced with System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1.ConfigMgr requires the 32-bit version of Windows PowerShell 3.0. It can be downloaded here: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=34595